Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Amnesty International –

By Nciko wa Nciko

Madagascar’s youth-led uprising promised a break from corruption and exclusion, but six months after the military takeover, repression and political consolidation have replaced reform. As the junta tightens control while preparing for elections, the risk is growing that democratic transition will serve only to legitimise a more entrenched form of authoritarian rule.

In late September, people in Madagascar took to the streets to protest rapidly deteriorating living conditions. Led by the Gen Z Madagascar youth movement, thousands protested against years of poor governance and corruption. Public frustration was compounded by the perceived colonial humiliation that came with finding out that the country’s president, Andry Rajoelina, was also a French citizen.

The protesters demanded that Rajoelina step down, a non-negotiable position that created the conditions for a military takeover two weeks later. On October 17, Colonel Michael Randrianirina was sworn in as head of state, promising to address the protesters’ grievances and to transition the country to elections within two years.

Six months later, the protesters’ demands remain unmet.

Repression, rather than investigations into those suspected to be responsible for killing dozens and injuring more than a hundred, now defines the country. The politics of exclusion, rather than meaningful participation by youth, women, and civil society in shaping reforms in the transition, has taken hold. Like the military regimes in the Central Sahel, Randrianirina’s junta has been all about political expressions of gendered narratives of strength and protection – dominance, decisiveness, coercion, authority and the capacity to impose and enforce.

Repression, deliberate failure to investigate violations

The junta’s first act a week after seizing power was to strip Rajoelina of Malagasy citizenship. Although Rajoelina took up French citizenship in 2014 – a status that should have disqualified him from holding the presidency in the first place as Malagasy law does not allow for dual citizenship – stripping him of citizenship was mainly the beginning of a wave of repression justified as the cost of national survival.

Each month since the military takeover, affiliates of the former regime have faced a series of unlawful searches, arbitrary arrests and prolonged detention under the broadly framed offence of “threats to national security”. All this has been carried out under the auspices of the junta’s zero-tolerance anti-corruption campaign.

It took Randrianirina less than a month in power to make clear his intention to run in the elections he had pledged to take the country to within two years. This not only explains the intensifying repression, but also the lack of serious effort to investigate soldiers, gendarmes and police who killed and maimed protesters last year.

Parliament – largely aligned with the junta – has unsurprisingly chosen not to operationalise the commission tasked with investigating senior officials for their alleged abuses. Instead, investigations into “violent actions to repress protesters” have so far targeted only the former president of the senate and former minister of education under Rajoelina’s regime.

The junta’s legitimacy rests upon the perception of strongmen in combat attire, untainted by wrongdoing. Acknowledging abuses by soldiers, police or gendarmes would weaken that moral authority and militarised masculine posture.

Politics of exclusion from legitimate concerns

Although he announced quitting the armed forces (probably in preparation for his presidential candidacy), Randrianirina explained that if he continues to show up in his military regalia, it is because of the respect it engenders among the public. The carefully staged masculine imagery has always been unmistakable under his rule. He is usually flanked by other senior male military officials. Youth and women are nowhere to be seen.

The junta reshuffled the executive branch of the state and made almost 600 appointments. The Gen Z Youth Movement and civil society it claims to have seized power for was neither involved nor consulted.

The 2026 Finance Act was to be a political tool to set in motion mechanisms to improve deteriorating public service delivery that drove the whole nation onto the streets last year. However, despite calls from Gen Z and civil society to be part of the deliberations, the junta hurriedly passed it.

It provides budget lines that preserve the spending priorities of the old regime, with sizeable allocations for the presidency and cabinet. A closer reading reveals where the money really goes: salaries, bonuses and administrative costs swallow the bulk of the budget, while direct investment in basic services – water, electricity, education and healthcare – remains marginalised.

Women’s political participation poses a direct threat to the masculine posture of the regime, which is sold as protective and reassuring for a people fatigued by years of poor governance and humiliation. From the junta’s high council, Randrianirina leads alongside four senior male security officials, each also with the status of head of state. And on March 15, after dismissing the entire cabinet without explanation, he appointed as prime minister a former gendarmerie officer and close associate of his – further entrenching the executive’s militarised masculine posture.

Women face an additional layer of political exclusion. Randrianirina, a Lutheran Christian, chose to place nationwide consultations on national reforms under the exclusive stewardship of the Council of Christian Churches. The council has historically opposed women’s reproductive rights and is likely to sideline LGBTQI rights.

Beyond electoral timelines

The junta’s geopolitical alignment reinforces its militarised masculine posture. Randrianirina quickly gravitated toward partners who frame repression, misogyny and homophobia as expressions of sovereignty and national honour. With US President Donald Trump’s White House, the junta is in discussions on the possibility of Madagascar hosting migrants expelled from the US under policies widely criticised as discriminatory.

With Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, and the Emirati leaders in Abu Dhabi, it is pursuing further environmental harm through fossil fuel extraction in Madagascar marketed as “energy sovereignty”.

With China’s Communist Party, plans are afoot to establish a weapons manufacturing facility.

With no progress on enacting the long-awaited law on access to information, civil society remains largely unable to demand – let alone receive – answers from the government about how its appointments and policies are meant to improve the delivery of basic services.

The disappointment among the Gen Z youth movement is palpable. On March 4, a statement by some representatives of the movement read: “Leaders are turning a blind eye to the demands expressed on the ground.”

The Southern African Development Community, the African Union and the United Nations have all focused on elections in September 2027 as a pathway to restoring civilian rule.

However, unless repression stops, those responsible for killing and injuring protesters are investigated, and the toxic masculine posture is dropped to allow for youth and women to meaningfully shape reforms before the vote, the much-anticipated elections risk repackaging this same authoritarian military junta in civilian clothes. DM

This oped first ran in South Africa’s Daily Maverick

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

People often get my name wrong. It’s Elle—like “El-yeah.” At the airport, at the store, in the interviews which have become more frequent ever since we announced the case against Shell. I correct them with a smile. But there are bigger things to worry about; I’m fighting for climate justice and accountability.

I live in Batasan. We are a small Island, a small number of people always battered by climate change. We’ve seen almost every face of the climate crisis: rising water, stronger storms, warmer seas, and unbearable heat when the rains don’t come. We rely on the cycles of rain for drinking water. We depend on the sea for food. When these systems change, everything in our daily life is disrupted.

After Odette, our recovery was slow. If you ask me today, maybe we’re only 70% back—and just because of loans. I was tagged “totally damaged”—and it wasn’t an exaggeration. There was nothing left, not an item of clothing. I borrowed from microfinance groups—first for our livelihood and again for housing. To this day I’m in debt, for the first time in my life. My husband was a seaman. We started a small business. We were stable. Now, we begin again from zero—and the interest doesn’t stop growing, where storms are concerned.

People ask why I am speaking out. The truth is simple: I woke up to what’s happening. And if I’m awake, I should be a voice for our community. I believe climate justice is a kind of inheritance—something I can pass on to my children and future grandchildren. It’s a hopeful vision that even if you feel small, you can still do something, as long as you speak. We don’t need to be a scientist to know that the climate is changing: we see it, and we feel it.

We have prepared a legal case against a huge company. Yes, it’s big. Yes, I was scared at first. But I think of my children and their tomorrow. That’s where the courage comes from. Doing what is right is not about being fearless; it’s about choosing what matters more than fear.

Why does winning matter? Because accountability matters. If we win, there can be payment for damages—boats, homes, tools we saved up for over years. But more than things, it would mean the effort is not wasted. That standing up to powerful companies was not for nothing. And even if we don’t win right away, we will have done something. We will have told our children: we stood our ground.

People say the Philippines contributes so little to global pollution. Still, we absorb the worst of the impacts. That is the unfairness we live with. The ones who profit from pollution should be the ones held to account. That’s what climate justice looks like from our shoreline: those who caused the harm help pay to repair it—and change their business so others don’t suffer the same.

I don’t pretend this is easy. I carry a notebook of dues and deadlines. I check the sky more than I check my phone. When a squall rolls in, I think about plywood, nails, roofs, and school uniforms. But I also think about what’s possible when people tell the truth about what’s happening to us, and when those with power finally listen.

So if you’re asking again: Why climate justice? Why accountability? Because our lives are at stake. Because debt should not be our disaster plan. Because the sea should bring life, not fear. Because the future belongs to our children—and they deserve more than survival.

My name is Trixy Elle, from Batasan Island. I used to think my name sounded “foreign.” Now I know it sounds like home—a place worth defending, a story worth telling, and a voice that will not be quiet.

---

Trixy is a resident of Batasan Island, one of the “sinking islands” in Bohol, and one of the claimants in the Odette Case. Trixy, along with other survivors of Super Typhoon Odette (Rai), is demanding accountability from Shell for climate-induced damages and the great harm they suffered from the storm, which claimed 405 lives and injured over 1,400 others in 2021.

Climate scientists say the extreme weather brought by Odette was made more likely by climate change driven by fossil fuel combustion. This landmark case is the first of its kind and scale against an oil and gas company for deaths, injuries, and property damage that have already occurred.

The case, filed in London where Shell’s global headquarters is located, addresses the company’s historic carbon emissions, as well as its deception and disinformation about climate change, which it has known about since 1965.

Support Trixy and other super typhoon survivors in their fight for survival and our common future. Sign the petition.

Source: Amnesty International –

Millions of football fans attending the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA risk coming face to face with troubling attacks on human rights, not least those stemming from abusive and deadly US immigration policies, Amnesty International said today. The human rights organization warned that severe restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful protest threaten the “safe, welcoming and inclusive” tournament promised by FIFA.

Its new report, Humanity Must Win: Defending rights, tackling repression at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, details significant risks to and impact on fans, players, journalists, workers and local communities in all three host countries. The USA under President Trump – where three-quarters of World Cup matches will be held – is facing a human rights emergency marked by discriminatory immigration policies, mass detentions and arbitrary arrests by masked, armed agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other agencies.  

“The US Government has deported more than 500,000 people from the USA in 2025 – more than six times as many people than will watch the World Cup final in the MetLife Stadium,” said Amnesty International’s Head of Economic and Social Justice, Steve Cockburn.

“The record-breaking surge of unlawful arrests and deportations has only been possible because of the erosion of due process safeguards, undermining the rights to liberty and security of hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees. These policies have torn communities apart and created a climate of fear throughout the USA. It’s a deeply troubling time in the US, which will certainly extend to fans who want to take part in World Cup celebrations.”

World Cup host cities have been impacted by the US government’s crackdown on rights. President Trump federalized and deployed approximately 4,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles in June 2025, in response to protests against immigration raids. Host cities Dallas, Houston and Miami have all signed problematic agreements for local law enforcement agencies to collaborate with ICE, which increases racial profiling and targeting of immigrants, and erodes trust between communities and local law enforcement, leading to reduced public safety.

© AFP via Getty Images

In the other host countries, Mexico has mobilized 100,000 security personnel, including the military, in response to high levels of violence, raising risks for people protesting. This includes women activists who are planning a peaceful protest for the opening match at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, seeking truth justice and remedy for the disappearance of loved ones. In Canada, the impact of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and a growing housing crisis have raised fears that people experiencing homelessness will again be displaced and pushed further to the margins. On 15 March, authorities in Toronto closed a winter warming centre providing shelter for people experiencing homelessness, as the venue had been pre-booked for use by FIFA.

US travel restrictions and abusive immigration policies mar the beautiful game

In 2025 alone, the U.S. government deported over 500,000 people, including 230,000 arrested in the interior of the country and 270,000 at the border, according to analysis of official government data by the New York Times. Many have been deported in violation of the principle of non-refoulement to third countries to which they have no connection, to face arbitrary and prolonged detention.

Throughout the US, federal agents, behaving in the manner of a paramilitary-style operation, have repeatedly targeted Latino, Black, Asian and other communities of colour, violently and arbitrarily detaining people, including children, near their homes, schools and workplaces.

With many immigrant communities in the USA likely to want to come together to watch the World Cup, and millions of fans travelling from all over the world, ICE and other agencies pose a chilling threat to people living in the US, those traveling to see a game, and players themselves.

Due to travel bans under the Trump administration, fans from Côte d’Ivoire, Haiti, Iran and Senegal will be unable to travel and enter the US to support their team unless they had valid visas before 1 January 2026. Other fans face intrusive surveillance, with proposals to force visitors to make their social media accounts available for vetting, and screening for “anti-Americanism”.

This World Cup is no longer the ‘medium risk’ tournament that FIFA once judged it to be… urgent action is needed to make sure the reality of this World Cup matches its original promise.”

Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Economic and Social Justice

“Despite the astounding numbers of arrests and deportations, neither FIFA nor the US authorities have provided any guarantees that fans and local communities will be safe from ethnic and racial profiling, indiscriminate raids, or unlawful detention and deportation,” said Steve Cockburn.

“Only four of the 16 host cities have so far published their human rights plans, and none of those that have done so to date say anything about protection from abusive immigration enforcement. This World Cup is no longer the ‘medium risk’ tournament that FIFA once judged it to be – whether it is to protect people from ICE, guarantee the right to protest or prevent homelessness, urgent action is needed to make sure the reality of this World Cup matches its original promise.”

Right to protest and freedom of expression under threat

World Cups are often the focus of protests and there are risks that demonstrations could be repressed.

Across the USA, Canada and Mexico, there have been restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The Trump administration has particularly targeted foreign-born students protesting the Israeli government’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, while US citizens protesting and monitoring aggressive immigration enforcement actions have been killed by federal agents.

© AFP

Canada has seen a wave of protests against the genocide in Gaza, including large scale peaceful demonstrations and student encampments that were unduly dispersed or cleared by the police.

Mexico has also experienced a series of World Cup-related protests by residents angry about the disruptions to water supplies, access to land, rising costs and gentrification linked to infrastructure development in host cities. The militarized nature of Mexico’s security mobilization for the tournament brings risks that further protests could be repressed.

Human rights must remain at heart of tournament

With just over 10 weeks until the World Cup kicks off, FIFA’s commitment to a tournament where everyone “feels safe, included, and free to exercise their rights” requires urgent action to ensure the beautiful game is not at risk of an ugly outcome.  Members from LGBTQI+ groups in the UK and across Europe have said it is not safe for them to have a visible presence at the tournament.

“While FIFA generates record revenues from the 2026 World Cup, fans, communities, players, journalists and workers cannot be made to pay the price. It is these people – not governments, sponsors or FIFA – to whom football belongs, and their rights must be at the centre of the tournament,” said Steve Cockburn.

Background

Amnesty International is part of Sports & Rights Alliance, a movement of fans, athletes, workers, local community members, and human rights organizations calling on FIFA to work with host countries to protect host city residents and communities.

Source: Chatham House –

Sudan’s volunteer-led aid network receives 2025 Chatham House Prize
News release
eoboko.drupal
27 March 2026

Sudan’s grassroots mutual aid groups, the Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs), accept the Chatham House Prize 2025.

Sudan’s volunteer-led aid network – the Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) – were handed the Chatham House Prize 2025 at a special ceremony on 26th March.    

The ERRs were recognised for their vital work in delivering humanitarian support during the devastating conflict in Sudan.  

Since the start of the war in April 2023, over thirteen million people have been displaced from their homes, with more than thirty-three million requiring humanitarian assistance, making Sudan the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.  

Emerging from Sudan’s local traditions of mutual aid, the ERRs provide lifesaving essentials such as food and water to communities across Sudan’s 18 states, as well as providing medical assistance, education and responding to gender-based violence.

The grassroots movement has been recognized by several international bodies particularly for their impartial nature and their aim to provide aid for all parties caught up in the war, despite facing harassment and attacks from the conflict’s warring sides and members being killed and injured.    

Four members of the network represented the ERRs at the prizegiving event: Alsanosi, Alaa, Abdalla and Khalid.  

In her opening remarks at the ceremony, Bronwen Maddox, Director and Chief Executive of Chatham House, said: ‘[The Emergency Response Rooms] have meant the difference between life and death for many Sudanese. They provide food, clean water and medical supplies in areas that are often inaccessible to international organisations. They help maintain and repair infrastructure, from power lines to water systems. They organise evacuations from areas under bombardment and siege. They design and implement projects that support women, children and other vulnerable groups. They pay attention not only to immediate survival, but to dignity and social cohesion.’

During the event a message from King Charles to the ERRs was read by Sir Simon Fraser, Chatham House Chair.  

Accepting the award, Alsanosi, who is a volunteer member of the external communications committee of the ERRs said the Prize belonged to the 26,000 ERRs volunteers, ‘who refuse to be victimized or disappear in the face of war.’ He added that: ‘This Prize is also a reminder of responsibility that recognition must not stop at applause. Sudan’s civilians continue to face famine, displacement, and violence. Emergency Response Rooms volunteers continue to operate with minimal resources, immense risk, and shrinking civic space. We see this award as a call to all of us to protect civic spaces in times of war; so that they remain the baseline to rebuild and transform Sudan.’  

Abdalla, who is a volunteer coordinator for the EERs’ committee said: ‘This award represents an opportunity to bring Sudan to the forefront of international attention. We hope it will help shine a greater light on the daily humanitarian efforts carried out by the Emergency Response Rooms. We dedicate this recognition to every volunteer who continues to serve despite the challenges.’

Khalid, who co-founded the ERRs in Sudan’s South Kordofan said: ‘Winning this award is global recognition of the efforts and courage of the Emergency Response Room volunteers, and a tribute to the Sudanese community. It serves as an incentive to continue protecting civilians and upholding their dignity, and to emphasise the role of local leadership in bringing about change.’

The Chatham House Prize 2025 was generously supported by Dr Mo Ibrahim, Open Society Foundations and Quadrature Climate Foundation.

The Chatham House Prize is voted for by Chatham House members, following nominations from Chatham House staff and presented to ‘the person, persons, or organization deemed to have made the most significant contribution to the improvement of international relations.’

The Prize was launched in 2005. Previous recipients of the Prize include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sir David Attenborough, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Médecins Sans Frontières, and Melinda Gates, co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
 

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

Greenpeace urges ministers to “tax every penny” of Big Oil’s war windfall 

The five largest North Sea oil and gas companies have received a staggering £73 billion boost to the value of their shares in the month since the first US-Israeli attacks on Iran, new analysis by Greenpeace UK shows. 

The sharp rise in the value of their stocks means fossil fuel producers are now expecting a huge “war windfall”, prompting campaigners to call for a strengthening of the windfall tax.

One month of Donald Trump’s illegal war in Iran has resulted in death and destruction and turmoil in global energy markets, pushing up UK petrol prices and threatening higher bills and inflation. At the same time, the sudden spike in oil and gas prices has led to a huge increase in the market value of many fossil fuel companies.

Analysis by Greenpeace shows that in just four weeks, the combined market capitalisation of Shell, TotalEnergies, BP, Equinor and Harbour Energy has jumped by £73.5 billion. Shell and Equinor top the list, with each company’s total market value soaring by around £20 billion and Shell’s share price hitting an all-time high last week.

The market shock from the conflict in the Middle East is set to deliver a multi-billion-pound boost to oil giants’ profits. Despite this, the industry has been lobbying ministers to scrap the Energy Profits Levy, the government’s main tool to tax fossil fuel firms’ unearned profits. 

Shell and Equinor are also attempting to capitalise on instability in global oil and gas supply by pressuring ministers into greenlighting the controversial Rosebank oilfield. A 95,000-tonne production ship, the Petrojarl Rosebank, is currently sailing to the UK despite the companies having no permission to start production at the site.

Greenpeace is calling on the Government to resist industry pressure, reject Rosebank, strengthen the windfall tax on fossil fuel profits and champion a global profit tax on international oil companies.

Paul Morozzo, senior climate campaigner with Greenpeace UK, said:

“These oil giants are about to cash in a huge windfall from Trump’s illegal war, yet the industry is shamelessly lobbying for tax cuts. While UK households face eye-watering energy bills, fossil fuel producers are in line for a multi-billion-pound war windfall they’ve done nothing to earn. Shell and Equinor are pressuring the government to open up a major new oilfield in the North Sea – they keep making huge profits while UK households are held hostage to volatile fossil fuel markets.”

“The government must not cave in to industry lobbying but should tax every penny of these war profits. This crisis shows why we need to ramp up efforts to wean ourselves off fossil fuels by doubling down on renewables. More wind and solar can cut the UK’s reliance on gas imports much faster than issuing new North Sea licences. Renewables are our best insurance policy against the fallout from Trump and Putin’s wars – we should go all in.” 

ENDS

Contact: Greenpeace UK Press Office – press.uk@greenpeace.org or 020 7865 8255

Notes for editors:

The Greenpeace analysis looked at the variation in the companies’ share prices based on FT markets data from 28 February to 25 March.

Source: Amnesty International –

Responding to the tabling of an amendment to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) in Lok Sabha (lower house of the Indian Parliament) that would grant the authorities sweeping new powers over the assets of NGOs that have had their licenses withdrawn, Aakar Patel, Chair of Board at Amnesty International India, said:

“Since coming into force in 2010, the FCRA has been cynically amended and misused to harass, intimidate and censor human rights defenders and NGOs carrying out vital human rights work across India.

“As of 26 March 2026, official data shows that 21,933 organizations had lost their FCRA licenses, depriving them of essential funds and often resulting in their closure or severe restrictions on their activities. Our research has demonstrated that those most impacted are organizations associated with minority rights, right to freedom of expression, environmental rights and climate action.

This amendment would be a blatant abuse of this legislation designed to further crack down on civil society under the pretext of national security.

Aakar Patel, Chair of Board at Amnesty International India

“This amendment would extend these sweeping powers even further. The FCRA already enables the authorities to cancel, suspend or refuse to renew FCRA licenses on arbitrary and vague grounds. These changes would grant them sweeping new powers to create a mechanism to appropriate, manage and dispose of the assets of organizations that have lost their licenses.

“Many organizations are currently litigating in various courts against the cancellation, suspension or non-renewal of their FCRA licenses. This amendment would be a blatant abuse of this legislation designed to further crack down on civil society under the pretext of national security. The Lok Sabha must reject this abusive amendment and uphold the country’s Constitution and international human rights obligations regarding the rights to freedom of expression and association.”

Background

Under the proposed changes, a “designated authority” would take over, manage or dispose of assets created out of foreign funds by an NGO or association, which has had its FCRA registration suspended, cancelled, or not renewed. The Indian government has repeatedly amended the Act to make it more stringent and burdensome for the civil society to carry out their legitimate human rights activities.

In 2024, the Financial Action Task Force found India only “partially compliant” on safeguards for non-profits, warning that measures such as the FCRA risk being misused to restrict legitimate civil society activity, and urged as a priority that they be made risk-based, proportionate, and developed in consultation with the sector. In 2016, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association warned the Indian government that the FCRA contains overbroad and vague provisions that undermine the right to freedom of association.

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

Plastic is everywhere. It is in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and the clothes we wear. These particles have found their way to our blood and organs. Scientists are only beginning to understand the long-term effects of plastics on our health, but many of the chemicals present in plastic are linked to serious health issues such as endocrine disruption, insulin resistance, and decreased reproductive health.

Whether you just watched Plastic Detox on Netflix or because the first signs of summer inspired a good clean, here are five practical ways to detox your home from plastic.

1. Choose your cookware with care

Many everyday kitchen items contain plastic, from spatulas and chopping boards to storage containers and non-stick cookware. A recent report by Greenpeace International shows that plastic food packaging—commonly used for ready meals and takeaways—is exposing us to serious health risks, especially when heated.

You don’t need to replace everything at once. Start with small shifts. Swap plastic cutting boards for wood. Avoid heating food in plastic containers. Reuse glass jars for storage. If you are upgrading cookware, consider stainless steel or cast iron. These changes are manageable and can reduce everyday exposure.

2. Refuse, reuse, refill

Plastic-lined coffee cups, “bioplastic” packaging and cutlery, and even take-out containers labeled as recyclable, can contaminate our food and our bodies with microplastics and chemicals. Refuse what you do not need. Say no to plastic utensils, straws, and anything single-use. Build the habit of bringing reusables like eco bags, tumblers, and food containers. Tell the restaurant or store why it’s a no for you. The more they hear it, the more likely they’ll also make the change.

At home, use what you already have. Regular plates, cups, and utensils work just fine. Sharing containers during gatherings can also help reduce waste.

3. Polyester is just another way of saying plastic

About 60% of material made into clothing is plastic, which includes polyester, acrylic, and nylon. These synthetic textiles can shed microplastics when we wear, use and wash them.

Next time you go (second-hand) shopping, check the label. Choose natural fibers like cotton, linen, or hemp when possible. If you already own synthetic items, you can reduce impact by using specialized laundry bags that catch microfibers or by using and washing them less often.

4. Support zero-waste businesses

Corporations play a major role as producers and users of single-use plastic, but they also have the capacity to shift toward better systems.

More businesses are beginning to recognize that reducing plastic can make sense economically. Research shows that zero-waste approaches can create significantly more jobs compared to systems that rely on burning or dumping waste. This opens space for alternatives that support both livelihoods and sustainability.

In the Philippines, the Philippine Reuse Consortium brings together groups working to expand refill and reuse. Some members include Back to Basics Ecostore in Quezon City and Tingi Station in Baguio City. These stores allow customers to bring their own containers and access products without single-use packaging.

Not everyone has access to a zero-waste store, and that is a reality for many communities. Still, supporting these businesses where possible helps strengthen models that reduce waste at the source. It also sends a signal to larger companies that people are ready for systems built around reuse.

5. Engage your community

Cutting plastic at home can feel limiting, especially when most products are packaged that way before they even reach you. Change becomes stronger when it moves beyond individual action.

Start where you are. Talk to your barangay about waste reduction programs. Support or initiate reuse projects in your community. Encourage nearby stores to offer refill options. Ask your local government to strengthen implementation of existing waste prevention and management laws and invest in systems that prioritize reuse.

There is already proof that this works. Initiatives like Kuha sa Tingi show that refill models can fit into everyday Filipino life. By working with sari-sari stores, the model makes refill accessible within communities people already trust. Results point to repeat use, reduced reliance on sachets, and interest from local governments to expand similar efforts. It shows that reuse can work not only for the environment but also for local economies.

A plastic detox should not rest on people alone. Companies need to shift toward reuse, and governments need to create the conditions for it to scale. This means policies that support small businesses, incentivize stakeholders, and require large companies to move away from single-use plastic.

You can help push this further! Add your name to the petition calling for policies that support reuse and refill systems and reduce plastic production at the source.

Source: Amnesty International –

Saturday 28 March marks seven years since Amara Krumak, Abdalla Bari and Kone Tiemoko Abdul Kader – known as the El Hiblu 3 – were arrested in Malta for opposing their forced return to Libya, where they would be at risk of persecution, torture and other serious human rights violations. For this act of resistance, they were charged with “acts of terrorism” and other offences by the Maltese authorities.

“It is unconscionable that the El Hiblu 3, who survived abuse in Libya, a shipwreck, and an attempted unlawful return, are now facing the prospect of life imprisonment simply for asserting their rights and trying to prevent further harm,” said Dinushika Dissanayake, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Europe. 

In March 2019, the three teenagers, (aged 15, 16, 19) fled Libya on a crowded rubber boat alongside 108 others. When the boat began to deflate, they were rescued by the El Hiblu cargo ship, which had been requested by the European Union’s (EU) naval operation in the Mediterranean to assist the vessel in distress.

Following the rescue, the ship’s captain attempted to return those on board to Libya, an act that would have violated international law, which requires rescued persons to be taken to a place of safety. When those onboard realized they were being returned, panic ensued. After they pleaded with the El Hiblu’s captain, with some people saying they’d rather die than return to Libya, the ship turned around and set off for Malta instead.

When the ship arrived in Malta, the Maltese authorities claimed the three youths had taken over the ship by force. They were charged with serious crimes punishable by life in prison under Maltese terrorism legislation, and to this day are still caught in court proceedings that should never have been brought.

No one should be punished for seeking protection

Dinushika Dissanayake, Deputy Regional Director for Europe.

“Libya is not a safe country. By resisting their return, they helped prevent a serious breach of international law which would most likely have resulted in horrible suffering for themselves and many others. No one should be punished for seeking protection. Amnesty International stands in solidarity with Amara, Abdalla and Kone as they endure a seventh year of an unjust legal ordeal.”

A catalogue of failures

Over the past seven years Malta has consistently failed these three young men, two of whom were children at the time of their arrest. The Maltese authorities failed to assess their best interests as children, detained them in a high-security adult prison and subjected them to adult court proceedings.

Amnesty International is also concerned by procedural issues and gaps in the investigation that have further affected the fairness of proceedings, for example, key witnesses never being summoned, including other people who were rescued. Despite the absence of evidence of violence, the authorities have persisted with terrorism-related charges that are unfounded.

“Malta has instituted a catalogue of failures in its handling of this case. These young men have been denied a fair trial and were treated as adults, spending seven years of their youth in legal limbo – time that should have been spent in education, work, and simply growing up free from the shadow of prosecution,” said Dinushika Dissanayake.

Kone is currently in migration detention in the UK and faces extradition to Malta. Amnesty International opposes his extradition as it would return him to a prosecution that should never have been brought.

Growing recognition of injustice

Amnesty International welcomes the recent remarks of four UN independent experts, who in January firmly criticized Malta’s handling of the case and called for the charges to be dropped. They specifically raised concerns about laying charges of “terrorism” which “do not appear to be based on violent or coercive criminal conduct” and the violation of fair trial rights, as well as failures to uphold the rights of the child.

The UN experts also recalled that the EU’s naval operation in the Mediterranean had instructed the El Hiblu on behalf of the Libyan Coast Guard to return the people rescued to Libya, thus directing an unlawful pushback. This is a reminder of the EU’s persistent cooperation with Libya where systematic and widespread violations against refugees and migrants are ongoing with impunity.

Reports of the EU seeking to extend its cooperation on migration and border control with the Libyan Arab Armed Forced (LAAF’s) armed group, the de facto authorities in eastern Libya and southern Libya, are deeply alarming, given the LAAF’s record of involvement in war crimes and other violations of international law.

“As Amnesty International has said from the outset, this case exemplifies all that is fundamentally wrong with European migration policies in the Central Mediterranean. There is a growing recognition that these charges are unjustified and deeply unfair.

“Criminalizing people for seeking protection only prolongs their suffering and compounds their trauma. After seven years, these young men have endured enough. Malta must drop the charges and dismiss this case,” said Dinushika Dissanayake.

Background

On 22 January 2025 the Court of Appeal in Valletta found that Malta has jurisdiction over the case, which must therefore continue to be heard by Malta’s criminal court. The preliminary hearings are ongoing.

For more information see here.